Blagojevich is ducking questions

The latest revelations in the trial of one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's former top fund-raisers keep bringing the growing scandal closer to the state's highest office.

Unfortunately, the governor himself continues to duck questions about the potentially damaging developments.

In what probably was the most damning testimony of the trial to date, a former high-ranking state official claimed last week that Blagojevich was present when he presented a $25,000 campaign contribution to the governor's now-indicted fund-raiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who is on trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Ali Ata, 56, a former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, testified that after he had given the campaign contribution to Rezko, Blagojevich asked Rezko whether he had talked to Ata about a job on the state payroll. Ata also said that after he later made a second $25,000 campaign contribution, Blagojevich again brought up the subject of a job and said it should be one in which Ata "could make some money." Ata later was named head of the Finance Authority.

It should be noted that Ata's allegations came as he pleaded guilty to lying about the FBI about Rezko's role in getting him his state job. However, the accusations could be significant in the ongoing federal investigation of alleged influence peddling involving Blagojevich's administration.

If Ata's story is true, his statements link Blagojevich to the so-called illegal "pay-to-play" politics being investigated by the FBI that the governor previously has denied.

Of course, Blagojevich has not been charged with wrongdoing and consistently has said he does not do business this way.

His only response to news reports about Ata's allegations was a prepared statement from his office that reiterated, "As we've said many times before, we don't endorse or allow the decisions of state government to be based on campaign contributions."

On Wednesday, Blagojevich attended his annual prayer breakfast, a public event, without giving notice to the media, and he left quickly without taking any questions from reporters.

Such actions leave many questions unanswered and only raise more suspicions. If Blagojevich really has nothing to hide, why doesn't he come forward with specific denials of these accusations? He should explain in detail his relationship to both Rezko and Ata, as well as other figures involved in the Rezko trial.

The governor is not doing himself any good by continuing to duck these questions. As they say, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck..... we all know the rest.